Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-06-25
THE HUDSON BAY COUNTRY.
Interesting Information about a Compar
atively Unknown Land

Those who have never seen life as it ex-
lists among the inhabitants of the Hudson
bay country would be astonished at the
extent of civilization among class of peo-
pie generally supposed to be savage, as
well as st the awful grandeur of the seen
cry and forbidding aspect of the graveyard
coasts along the shores of that northern
sea. In all the uninhabitable region of
North America there is nowhere to be
found more bleak, desolate or dreary
waste than that between Ungava bay. of
the coast of Labrador on the east. and Fort
Churchill, on the west and southern part
of Hudson bay proper. Although little is
known yet regarding this weird and frozen
region, 1t has had growth within the last
half century which has been something
phenomenal, and having been measured
according to its needs by the God of Ma
ture, has gone on advancing from age to
age until at the present time, not alone the
more fertile islands, but the extent of land
back from the coast on either side is
thickly populated by people who hunt,
and fish, and breed and talk, and chatter
even among the misery and restitution
which life in a region of perpetual frost and
snow must bring.
Hudson Bay itself is really an inland sea,
extending between latitude SO and go
north, and longitude 77o and $50 west. and
while about 900 miles long at its greatest
distance, is only about 900 miles in breadth,
covering an area of over 5000 square
| miles. 1t is navigable only for about three
months in the year-from the middle of
June to the middle of September-and for
the remainder of the year is filled with
drift ice, which renders navigation, even for
short distance, an absolute impossibility.
The eastern coasts of the bay are to be ad-
mired, cliffs rising in many cases to hight
of from 200 to 400 feet abruptly from the
waters edge, and, being composed of gla-
cier-like substances which, being ever
coated with ice and frozen snow, shine in
| the sunlight until it is almost impossible to
look at them for any length of time. The
| residents of this section are not properly
Esquimaux, but cross between this race
| and the French and Indians, who have
come in FOR the purpose of hunting and
fishing, and finally settled down among
the natives to live as they do and share
| with them in the privations which no
other life affords. On an average, in the
summer months, the thermometer stands
| at about 45o above, while the tempera-
| ture in the winter runs as low as 60o
below zero, and will average 250 below. Fish
are scarce and can be caught only in the
rivers, of which on the east there is only
| the Great Whale, while on the west there
| are the Hayes, Nelson, Churchill, Moore,
Albany, Weeknisk, Main and Abbitibbe
| Seal abound in plenty, but are extremely
| shy and hard for the natives to get at,
while porpoise and walrus are equally
| difficult to get hold Of. Were it not for the
small fur-bearing animals which are about
| the shores the poor half breeds would
stand very good chance of perishing by
| hunger, as they can expect nothing in the
way of favors from the Hudson Bay Com
panys stores, q few of which are along the
coast The natives live in little villages
composed of from 80 to 100 rude huts.
Each community has its place of worship
and It's church burial ground, which is
lconsecrated by the Moravian missionaries,
a few of whom are 10 be found wandering
about from village to village, from the
eastern extent of the settlements down as
far as Fort Churchill on the west. These
faithful, beloved men expect no recon-
pense Tor their services, and if they did
they wouldn't get it, for there is not in all
the country such thing as money, the
only exchange being in fish, oil and furs.
Whenever one of tribe dies the rest of
his family-meaning by that the entire set
tlement-stop work for the day and pro-
coed to bury him. If the settlement pos
sesses such thing as dinner, bell, and
the most of them do, the Oldest man in the
l
rings the bell in front of each until the oc-
cupants come out both big and little, and,
falling into line, march after him. When
the circuit has been made, and big and
little are all collected, march is made for
the kirote, as it is called, the village church,
which consists of about an acre of ground
simply inclosed by wall of stones, near
the middle of the community. Into this
little field go the entire populace, and after
chanting the virtues of the dead for some
hours, the corpse is taken away on skin
rack and covered with ice and snow in the
! common burial plot. The rest of the day
is spent in rejoicing, and the next day, il
the deceased was married, his better halt
makes another choice, and at the end of a
week, if an engagement be come to, the
dead is forgotten, and the no longer sorrow
ing ones begin life over again. Cor. Pits
burg Post.